


our nameless and strange universe

by kangtv (galacticnik)



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, M/M, That's it, idk this is a mess, mentioned Choi Yoojung/Kim Doyeon, partly inspired by mass effect andromeda, woojin loves his car and jihoon loves plants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-11 11:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16474976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticnik/pseuds/kangtv
Summary: Jihoon shows Woojin there's beauty and life even on a dead world.





	our nameless and strange universe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snapchat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snapchat/gifts).



> hello hello! i was both excited and terrified to get the chance to write for you because you are one of my favourite authors of all time (!!!). this isn't what i originally planned on doing for this exchange but i hope you enjoy it anyway — though you deserve so much more ♥
> 
> the setting and a lot of the terminology are borrowed from mass effect andromeda. i took liberties with some things so it's not exactly the same, but the basic idea was lifted from the game. i also don't know much about science-y stuff so just... ignore any scientific inaccuracies for the sake of the fic and for the sake of my sanity.
> 
> title taken from x by monsta x. unbeta'd, so please forgive any mistakes!

The truth is, nobody _wants_ to be on Eos willingly.

It’s hot, it’s arid, and vast swathes of the planet are off-limit and designated as Level 2 and Level 3 Hazard Zones. The toxicity of much of the air, water, and the native flora does not lend itself to a site of permanent human settlement, but when has a minor setback like that ever stopped humanity from trying to claim something as theirs? Oh, the planet you’re aiming to colonize is literally trying to kill you? Nothing to worry about!

Woojin has reservations—several of them. In the safety of his workshop, he’s free to grumble about the sheer _dumbfuckery_ of their mission here without compromising the ‘fragile community morale.’ Their mayor, Jisung, is barely hanging on under the crushing weight of responsibilities in the aptly named Site 1, so Woojin keeps his mouth shut in public just to make things a little easier for him. Privately, he rails against the top brass’ decision to settle here without doing a proper survey of the other viable planets in the system, calling it stupid, reckless, and impulsive.

Then again, stupid, reckless, and impulsive is sort of his modus operandi. The irony of Park Woojin calling anyone else out on it is not lost on him.

But even Woojin has his limits. Most of them formed after he came out of stasis and was assigned a post in Satan’s Asscrack, and therefore concern his new home. There are things he’d just rather not do, and leaving the security of their small settlement is one of them. The world beyond their borders is _dangerous_. Not the fun kind of dangerous either, the kind that gets your blood pumping and your heart beating fast, adrenaline coursing through your veins. Like, the kind where you are almost definitely going to die.

Woojin would like to avoid death for as long as possible.

Park Jihoon, on the other hand, seems willing to barrel along headfirst into certain demise. Ever since he made planetfall three months ago, he’s been making frequent forays into the vast and uncharted landscape of Eos. It’s not as bad as it sounds; they’ve been research trips conducted by a mid-size team of scientists. Jihoon is something like an intern or research assistant and for the most part just tags along to gawk and scan things, but it serves his insatiable curiosity about their new world.

When Jihoon is not out there being an intrepid explorer, he’s here at Woojin’s place, eating his way through the food supplies and playing the ancient games downloaded to his terminal. At some point, Woojin figured Jihoon would get tired of Tetris, but the love affair continues. He thinks it’s because Jihoon’s terminal is work-locked, so no games or porn. Tragic.

Woojin doesn’t mind him being here, for the most part. Jihoon is funny, wickedly sharp, and the same kind of weird people often say Woojin is. It’s nice being able to relate to someone on the same level; they just _get_ each other in a way that has turned them into fast friends within a couple of months of knowing each other. Jihoon insists fate or something cosmic brought them together, and while Woojin wouldn’t go that far, he can’t deny it feels _right_.

Their sense of humor matches, their last names match, and according to Doyeon they’re “halfway there to being a gross old married couple so just take the plunge and do it.”

(“What? Get married?” Woojin asks, dropping his wrench on his foot in surprise.

Doyeon scoffs. “Try asking him out on a date first, loverboy.”

“Wow. Gee. Never thought of that before.” He had not, for the record. “Where should I take him? To the toxic lake for a lakeside picnic then a deadly swim? The top of the canyon for an evening of stargazing with a side of cancer?”

Doyeon sighs heavily. “You have to get creative in love,” she says, and Woojin kicks her out of his workshop because who said anything about _love_?)

So maybe there is the tiniest bit of truth to what Doyeon says, and if they didn’t live on an inhospitable planet, Woojin might entertain the idea of something more than simple friendship with Jihoon.

Because alright, he’s handsome and easy to talk to and when he’s around, Woojin gets the same kind of rush, the same kind of _thrill_ he does when he’s about to do something stupidly dangerous or dangerously stupid. It’s an intoxicating high he can never get enough of, physical and consuming. But then there are the quiet moments where he looks at Jihoon and his stomach flutters and a different kind of warmth spreads through his body and he thinks _oh god I like you—_

But with Eos being such a deadly place and their chances of successfully making it a viable home still low, Woojin feels like dating is at the bottom of his list of priorities. First comes survival, then awkwardly fumbling his way through various romantic mishaps. In the meantime, if he wants to kiss Jihoon, it’ll have to be in his dreams (not that he is dreaming about it regularly).

And if Jihoon wants to kiss him—yeah right. Jihoon keeps Woojin around because he _wants_ things from him, like food and access to his terminal and favors that seem small and innocent but are actually anything but. He’s disturbingly transparent about his demands, and none of them amount to A Relationship, which is probably a good thing. Probably. Most definitely. If Woojin tells himself that enough, he’ll start to believe it.

The only relationship they’ll probably have for the foreseeable future is driver and passenger, because the latest of Jihoon’s demands-slash-not-so-innocent-favours is for Woojin to drive him around for a botanical survey he needs to complete for reasons. He’s being cagey about it, which makes Woojin suspicious, which makes Jihoon work overtime to try to charm him into agreeing, and wreaks havoc on Woojin’s heart.

But he’s keeping it together so far. “I can’t. I have stuff to do.” He has a busy day ahead; Woojin needs to finish repairs on this shuttle and make sure it’s flightworthy before Doyeon comes to pick it up. He can’t just abandon his responsibilities to traipse through Eos with Jihoon, no matter how tempting it sounds (and the answer to that is: not very).

“Do the stuff later.” Jihoon won’t take no for an answer. He doesn’t seem well-versed in the concept of _no_ in general. Perched on top of a crate of spare parts, he fills his cheeks with air and frowns down at Woojin. Honestly, he reminds Woojin of a blowfish and it’s more cute than intimidating. “Come _on_ , Woojin. Don’t be lame.”

“I’m cool with being lame. I am the _king_ of lame.” Woojin slides the shuttle’s maintenance panel open and punches in the code for a diagnostic check, humming tunelessly under his breath. “For the record, I fell for that when you wanted to break into Jisung’s to steal the expansion plans for Site 2 and ended up getting my ass kicked for it, so no thanks. Not interested in getting beat up for your sake again.”

Jihoon looks affronted. “You’re gonna let me do it alone?”

“Yeah.” Jihoon chucks a screw at him, which Woojin barely dodges. “Why can’t you go by yourself?”

“Because I’m not authorized to drive the Nomad,” Jihoon responds blithely. Here Woojin feels like asking _when has that ever stopped you_ , because it hasn’t, but Jihoon seems to be anticipating his protests and doesn’t give him a chance to get a word in edgewise. “Besides, you know this planet a lot better than I do.”

Pausing in his repairs, Woojin straightens up and turns around. “I just know which places to avoid,” he says, incredulous. Granted, his knowledge of the place is better than a lot of the other colonists here, but a map would serve just as well. “Nav systems exist, by the way.”

“Nav systems are flawed, and you’re good enough for me.” Jihoon has a politician’s smile and a face which, underneath its cherubic exterior, is not used to being refused. Woojin doesn’t think he’ll be the first to say no to him either. “I have coordinates, and you have the Nomad. We’ll figure it out.”

“Right.” Who was he kidding? Going up against Jihoon is futile. Woojin wipes his palms on his shirt and sighs. “Fine. I’ll drive you,” he says, and Jihoon’s expression brightens. “But,” Woojin adds hastily. “You owe me your meat rations for the next week.”

Jihoon pulls a face. “Okay.”

“And you have to clean my workshop tomorrow.”

“... Okay.”

“And,” Woojin continues. He knows he’s starting to lose the upper hand by pushing for too much, so he plays his final trump card. “Stop watching porn on my terminal.”

“It’s not my fault you have so much,” Jihoon grumbles. “But, fine. I accept your demands.”

“Then… I’m okay with being your driver.”

Jihoon beams. “Great!” His self-satisfied smile is haunting. Despite the negotiation, Woojin feels like he’s been taken advantage of. He thinks he’s definitely been taken advantage of, but he might be okay with it.

It seems like Jihoon has that effect on people, or maybe Jihoon only has that effect on him.

 

* * *

 

Despite all Jihoon’s assertions of _fate_ and _destiny_ , Jihoon and Woojin are two strangers brought together by circumstance and faulty cryo-systems.

Technically, Jihoon is supposed to be in stasis, designated as a non-essential colonist. Woojin, meanwhile, is valuable enough to the colonizing efforts that he was eligible to be brought out of cryo as part of the first wave of settlement. Only the most basic of efforts to terraform Eos were made by the Rangers before Woojin ‘woke up,’ but that was the way it was always meant to be. He and the other colonists are supposed build on their foundational efforts, to be pioneers and proud of it.

It’s an okay gig, for the most part. Nothing Woojin didn’t sign up for. He works as a mechanic for Site 1, maintaining and fixing up the shuttles and Nomad land vehicles people use to get around. As far as roles go, this one is essential; the unpredictability of Eos’ terrain and weather means that shuttles and Nomads frequently break down, and Woojin is the one best qualified to deal with them. Sometimes he helps with geographical surveys of the planet as well, which usually just means charting which zones are designated as Level 2 Hazards.

Jihoon, on the other hand, was brought out of stasis due to a freak accident with the cryo-bay’s systems. A politician’s kid, his presence here is tied to who his father is, not what he can do. His skills are better suited for social games, for the spotlight, for the adoration of millions. Back on Earth, he would’ve been famous—more famous than he already was—if he chose to go down the celebrity route, but Eos and the Andromeda Initiative don’t have room for people who lack relevant skills. At least, not until they have a thriving colony on a completely terraformed planet five hundred years or so from now.

However, Jihoon emphatically refuses to be dead weight. Woojin thinks it’s kind of admirable, to be honest. It can’t be easy trying to fit yourself in a role not meant for you. He seems happy enough working in Hydroponics, though, and if he misses his father or the life he could’ve had, he doesn’t give any indication of it. Woojin admires that too, but it also makes him a little sad. Perhaps that’s why he relates so much to Jihoon. They’re both set adrift in this galaxy, _alone_ —

But Woojin doesn’t feel alone as much with Jihoon around.

(Maybe, just _maybe_ , it could be something like fate).

 

* * *

 

The Nomad is a hulking beast of a vehicle, but surprisingly agile when the occasion calls for it. Woojin runs a hand over its glossy exterior—freshly painted a shimmering red in honor of Eos (and he just really loves the color itself). He’s looking forward to driving it again, but less so when he thinks about all the scratches the Nomad is probably going to accumulate after this trip. Woojin grimaces. _Great_. Then again, it’s probably his fault for splurging on a fancy paint job in the first place.

Jihoon stands some way apart with his arms crossed over his chest, running a critical eye over the Nomad. “Are you one of those guys who gets weird about his cars?” he asks, nose scrunching up in distaste. 

Woojin splutters. “Okay, firstly, this is not a _car_.” It’s an all-terrain exploration-focused land vehicle. “And secondly, I’m not being weird about it. This baby saved my life during my first week here.”

“Baby.” Jihoon stifles a laugh with one hand. “You _are_ one of those guys.”

“Shut up and let me drive.” Woojin pops the passenger side door open and gestures to the Nomad with a flourish. “Your chariot awaits.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes, but climbs in after Woojin and buckles up.

The Nomad doesn’t purr, it _roars_ , and after running a quick systems check, Woojin radios the mayor and asks for the clearance to leave the boundaries of Site 1. He takes off immediately once Jisung gives them the okay to leave, a smile curling up at the corner of his lips. As much as he bitches about Eos itself, he does love driving the Nomad. It’s a beauty and a joy to handle, and the rush that comes with just flooring it can’t be beat by anything else.

Jihoon looks a little startled when Woojin first starts driving, but soon settles into his seat, returning Woojin’s grin with his own. Pressing his nose to the glass, he watches the landscape zip past, letting out a noise of approval every time he passes an interesting structure. Outside of Site 1’s view, their surroundings are reminiscent of an Earth desert, just red sand as far as the eye can see, with the occasional odd rock formation. No vegetation in sight, which is what Jihoon is after, but he doesn’t seem disappointed by that.

“It’s not so bad out here,” Jihoon says after a while. “Flat, but not bad. Like your ass.”

“Hilarious,” Woojin says, even though it’s not really funny. “My ass isn’t that flat. Why're you looking at my ass anyway?”

"You can't put something in front of me and expect me  _not_ to look at it. And I said it wasn't _bad_."  Jihoon’s eyes twinkle, and Woojin isn’t sure if he’s genuinely amused or trying to get out of awkward situation by distracting him with shinies. Probably both. 

Sometimes being friends with Jihoon is hard for this reason. Woojin knows it's supposed to be idle, meaningless teasing and that he shouldn't read too much into it. He succeeds, most days. But sometimes he wonders if it could be more,  _wants_ it to be more in the small corner of his heart. Stupid, yeah, but the business of love (or just deep rooted infatuation) often is. Easier just to assume Jihoon doesn't mean what he says. 

Before he can probe further, Jihoon brings the nav system HUD up and enters in a new coordinates he had written on his hand. Once he hits enter, the system calculates a route to a marker seemingly set down at a random location in the middle of… nothing. It’s an unmapped zone, and Woojin squints at the display.

“Do you—hey, do you know where you’re going?” Woojin asks. He thought they were just driving around in general, not headed to a specific locale.

“Sort of, yeah?” Catching the expression on Woojin’s face, he backtracks. “ _Yeah_. It’s—” Jihoon breaks off and picks at his cuticles. “It’s a secret for now, but trust me, this is important.” Woojin wants to press for more, but Jihoon quickly changes the subject. “In the meantime, you can just stop whenever you see something green.”

“This isn’t a scenic tour of the planet, dude. I _do_ have actual work to do—”

“Sorry.” Jihoon sounds genuinely apologetic for once. “But I promise it’s worth it. I hope it’s worth it.” He pauses and sinks low in his seat. “It’s probably worth it. And not deadly.”

Yeah, that is not encouraging in the slightest. Woojin turns back to the front and settles back in his seat. “Why’d you ask me to drive you around, anyway?” he asks finally. There are other people authorized to take the Nomad out that’d probably be happy to give Jihoon a hand. It didn’t have to be him.

“Well.” Jihoon’s almost mumbling, his cheeks a little pink. He stares out the window and breathes out, pressing his palm flat against the glass. “It’s pretty far. You’re the only one I’m willing to spend that much time with.”

“Oh.” _Oh_. That’s a little unexpected. Happiness bubbles up in his chest, though Woojin tries to quash it immediately because it doesn't help his hopelessly, pathetically _deep in_ _like_ ass in the slightest. “I mean, that’s cool.”

“Cool,” Jihoon says. 

“ _Cool_ ,” Woojin repeats, tightening his grip on the wheel. He looks over at Jihoon to search for a hint of—he doesn't know what to look for, really, but their eyes meet and for a moment Woojin's heart  _stops_. It's one of scenes you see in movies where you yell at the screen for the main characters to just kiss. Woojin's gaze flits to Jihoon's mouth, curled up in a smile and holding back his laughter, and thinks  _nah_.

He'll let it pass. 

 

* * *

 

This part of Eos is endless waves of red sand.

After a while, it all starts to blur into more of the same thing. The only indication of their progress is their icon getting closer to the navigational marker on the display, but even that seems to be moving forward at a snail’s pace. Nearly an hour passes before they get their first glimpse of any sign of life—the something green Jihoon was looking for.

Woojin stops the Nomad a few feet away from a crop of squat, prickly looking plants. Reaching back, he fumbles around for his helmet and slips it on. As as afterthought, Woojin also grabs his gun and clips it to his belt, and Jihoon watches his movements with interest. “You need to be packing heat for this stop?” he asks, then blanches. “I meant, the weapon.”

Woojin snickers. “Yeah, ‘course you did.” He tosses Jihoon a helmet and signals for Jihoon to put it on quickly. “But pretty much. You never known when one of the Skreets will attack and take a chunk out of your leg.”

“Skreet?” Jihoon echoes, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, what we call the native creatures of Eos.” Woojin unbuckles and grimaces inside his helmet at the memory of the Skreet ambush of Site 1 during their first week on the planet. “Think like… a wolf crossed with a dinosaur, but with the mouth of a shark and a poisonous bite.”

Jihoon’s expression twists into something complicated as he tries to visualize that. “I don’t know that looks like but it doesn’t sound good.” He puts his helmet on and reaches back for one of the spare pistols lying on the seat. “I’m gonna take this with me, just in case.”

“Do you even know how to use that thing?” Not that it matters either way; Woojin has a quick draw and can stay alert enough for the both of them.

Jihoon points the pistol at Woojin and mimics shooting him through the heart, who doubles over and clutches his chest in mock-pain. “I’m good.”

Woojin kind of doubts that, but he’s not gonna argue.

Jumping out of the Nomad, Jihoon immediately makes a beeline for the small, ungainly patch of flora. Taking a small device out of his pocket, he crouches down in front of the plants and runs his scanner over them. A few minutes later, he pulls out a couple of clear vials and bottles to take a couple of samples, all while Woojin watches on. “It’s pretty encouraging seeing these scraggly little plants growing here,” Jihoon says over their private comm link. “Shows you that life can survive even in the harshest of conditions.”

“That’s…” Woojin wouldn’t call this life or survival. The plants are barely holding on they look nearly sucked dry, all stiff and brown and wilted. He definitely would not consider this part of Eos’ greenery.

Jihoon chuckles. “Too much?”

“It’s romantic?” Woojin tries. It _is_ , but that’s not necessary a bad thing.

“Too much,” Jihoon decides with a nod. He sits back on his haunches and tips his head back to the sky. “I don’t know, I never really thought about this kind of stuff before waking up to this place; I’m not a sentimental guy.” His voice turns quiet and pensive, and Woojin has to strain his ears to hear him through the link. “But now I feel like it’s all I _can_ think about. I mean, I was supposed to wake up to a perfect world. I didn’t think I’d be here in the beginning stages of everything, you know? Where everything is unfinished and ugly”

He’s right—Jihoon was supposed to wake up to a functional world. Not the beginnings of an outpost. “And yet,” Woojin says, holding a hand out for Jihoon to take. He does and allows Woojin to pull him to his feet.

“And yet.” Brushing the dust off his pants, Jihoon pockets the rest of his samples and turns to Woojin with a grin, barely visible through the blue-tinted glass of his helmet. “It hasn’t been all bad. In fact, I kinda prefer all this.” He waves a hand around and Woojin splutters.

“You just gestured to _me_.”

There’s a heavy pause, then—”I meant the planet,” Jihoon clarifies.

“Oh.” Yeah, he would like to sink into the ground now. Woojin is glad his helmet hides his expression. He’s clearly projecting here; of course Jihoon isn’t going to be saying he—

“You too, I guess,” Jihoon says, eventually, waiting just long enough to make Woojin sweat through his suit. He thumps Woojin on the back and begins to make his way back to the Nomad.

Woojin trails after him, raising his voice. “You _guess_?”

Jihoon throws a glance over his shoulder. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I can't promise that. Me and big head." But he’s grinning and grateful Jihoon can’t see it.

“Yeah, I didn't think so; I can hear the shit-eating grin in your voice.” Annoyed, Jihoon turns to add something probably scathing to the conversation, but instead of saying anything, he lets out a garbled half-yell and then chokes out his name. “ _Woojin_!” Panic fills his voice as he rushes towards Woojin, hand flying to the pistol clipped to his belt. Woojin turns a beat later, in time to see a Skreet lunge at his face, its jaws snapping a hair’s breadth from his helmet—

But before it can sink its teeth into Woojin’s neck, a gunshot tears through the silence and sends the beast flying backwards, dirt scattering where it lands. He whirls around to see Jihoon advancing and putting four more rounds between the creature’s eyes before returning the gun to his belt.

Woojin gapes. “Holy _shit_.” His head hurts. “Shit, wait, shit, _what_?” The strength leaves his legs and Woojin sinks into a half-crouch, holding his helmeted head in his hands. “Fucking _God_.” Did he just almost die to a fucking science fiction-esque monstrosity of an animal on a foreign planet? What happens when you die in the Andromeda galaxy? Do you still go to heaven?

On a different but not unrelated note, he didn’t think Jihoon actually knew how to handle a weapon, but that was an assumption on his part; any shock or surprise is totally on him. It’s kind of hot too, like, in a vaguely wild way. Completely unconcerned, Jihoon nudges the corpse with a foot, then pulls out his scanner and runs it over the Skreet’s corpse.

“Where did you even get weapons training?” Woojin asks finally.

Returning the scanner to his pocket, Jihoon approaches him and grabs an arm to hoist Woojin up. “Video games, basically,” he says. When Woojin continues to look at him in disbelief—not that Jihoon can tell—he adds, “I used to hang out at the arcade a lot. There was a shooting range in the back and apparently I have a ‘murderous intent,’ whatever that means.”

Woojin doesn’t think that’s something to be proud of. “Okay.” He sucks in a deep breath and puts a hand on the Nomad to steady himself. “You are full of surprises.” His hands are shaking a bit from the close call, and when he blinks he can almost feel the creature’s hot, toxic breath close to his face. It’s the infection that kills people, not the bite or blood loss itself; Woojin has seen too many people succumb to those beasts since they established Site 1. He almost thought he’d be next for a moment there.

“Yep.” He climbs into the Nomad and Woojin follows when the strength returns to his body.

Once they’re both in and the Nomad’s doors are sealed, Woojin takes his helmet off. “Thanks,” he says, brushing the hair out of his eyes. His heart is still pounding in his chest, but the terror has faded into a kind of latent thrill, like a charged reminder that _yes I am alive_. “For uh, saving my life and… yeah.”

“Yeah,” Jihoon says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I have your back.” His hair is messy, inflicted with a serious case of helmet-head, and the pink spots in his cheeks give him an angelic appearance. He’s so fucking _cute_  in the moment that Woojin wonders if his racing pulse is from the near-death experience or the fact that Jihoon is… Jihoon. “Anyway, I can’t stand by while you get eaten by the unholy lovechild of a lizard and the swamp monster, can I?”

“You could, but that would be creepy.” Woojin starts the Nomad and adds, “By the way, it’s called a _Skreet_.”

Jihoon scoffs. “That sounds like a fucking dubstep band. I’m never calling it that.”

Woojin laughs so hard he almost bangs his head on the wheel.

 

* * *

 

They fall into a comfortable rhythm. Woojin drives towards Jihoon’s marker, and whenever Jihoon spots some vegetation, they stop, Jihoon does his scans, and then they climb back into the Nomad and continue onwards. They encounter a few more Skreets along the way, but nothing worse (and on Eos, there _is_ worse). Jihoon seems confident that his arbitrary coordinates are going to lead somewhere Important, but Woojin feels like there’s a better chance of it being a Level 3 Hazard Zone that’ll eat away at their shields and kill them in the span of a couple of minutes.

As if the universe can read his mind, the nav system beeps out an alert indicating they’re nearing a Level 2 Hazard Zone. Woojin stops the Nomad in place and frowns, trying to read the numbers popping up on the display in quick succession. “Shit,” he mutters, eyes flitting towards the status of their shields. Woojin made sure to keep them away from the edge of the zone, but the toxic air has already started to strip away at their protection; the Nomad’s shield strength has dipped to 94% and keeps falling lower. “I don’t think we can go this way.”

Jihoon starts. “Can we go around?” he asks, leaning down to get a better look at the display, and ends up bumping his head against Woojin’s in his haste. Muttering poisonous swears under his breath, he rubs his forehead with both hands and glowers.

“Uh.” Wincing, Woojin ignores the dull throbbing pain and checks the screen again. “There’s a path, I think, but we’re going to have to climb.” Good thing Nomad truly is an all-terrain vehicle. “Like, _really_ climb.”

“Then do it,” Jihoon says, already losing interest. What a sweet summer child. Woojin shuts his mouth and doesn’t bother warning him further.

Jihoon regrets his words immediately. Ten seconds later, he’s puking into the barf bag Woojin keeps stuffed under each seat in case of emergencies. The Nomad is climbing a nearly vertical cliff face, and a single look out the window is enough to make anyone lose their lunch. Woojin loves this part of taking the Nomad out, though, and the challenge it puts on his driving skills. One wrong move and they could plummet to their deaths (actually, he thinks they’d probably survive, but it would be traumatic).

“Just, uh, close your eyes for me,” Woojin advises him, as the Nomad propulses itself to the top of the cliff. From there, it’s a sheer drop down to the flat valley and Woojin tries to navigate as slowly and gently as he can for Jihoon’s sake.

Once the finally reach the bottom, Jihoon’s head emerges from the depths of the bag, still green around the edges. “That was fucking _awful_. Next time, throw me out of the car first or let me crawl.” Groaning, he presses his face to the cool glass of the window and closes his eyes. “I thought you were a good driver.”

“I am!” Woojin _is_ , thanks. “No one else could’ve done that without getting us killed.”

“That’s reassuring,” Jihoon mumbles, not moving an inch. His breaths are heavy, strained, and after a moment of hesitation, Woojin reaches out and tentatively rubs circles on his back to help him calm down. It takes a while, but Jihoon’s breathing eventually calms. He finally lifts his head and scowls.

“It should be. You _did_ bring me along for my mad skillz. Skills with a 'z' and everything.” Woojin gives Jihoon his best approximation of a comforting smile, but ends up looking like a gremlin or a defective doll instead. Jihoon just shakes his head at the sight.

"You look normal, but you're fucking crazy, aren't you?" he says, leaning over to poke Woojin’s cheek. It’s not an admonition. In fact, Jihoon looks _impressed_ by his daring (or sheer stupidity), which makes sense. He seems like the kind of person who’d be charmed by a bad boy. Sadly, Woojin is a dumb boy, not a bad boy. He’s doing his best, though.

Rubbing his cheek, Woojin pretends the spot where Jihoon touched him isn’t on fire. “Live here long enough and you will be too.” He’s not that crazy. Averagely crazy, maybe, but half of that comes from a fatalistic attitude Woojin finds hard to shake these days. Side effect of living on Eos, he thinks. 

Jihoon sits back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve never looked normal,” he says smugly, striking a pose. It looks awkward and unnatural in the cramped interior of the Nomad, but there’s something about him that makes Woojin grin and think, yeah.

If only he’d stopped there. “Is this where I say yes and call you handsome and then feel like I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day so I try to leave but can’t because we’re trapped in a car together in the middle of bumfuck nowhwere and there’s nowhere else to go?” The fact that he said all of it in one breath is deserving of a medal, but then it really sinks in and Woojin debates the pros and cons of throwing himself out the window and letting the Nomad run over him repeatedly.

Blinking in surprise, Jihoon straightens up and looks at him with an unreadable expression. His jaw clenches as the silence grows heavy, but before Woojin can say anything, he relaxes and leans forward with a smirk. “Pretty much. That’s the kind of shit I live for. Give it a go.”

Woojin groans and presses his forehead to the wheel. “Let’s not and say I did.” People should not be taking this much pleasure out of his mortification. 

But Jihoon won't let it drop. “You think I’m handsome,” he says gleefully, his eyes twinkling. “You can’t take that back. You said _handsome_.”

“Forget about this.” Why does Jihoon care so much, anyway? Woojin is sure he's been hearing that his  _entire life_. A person like Woojin adding his compliments to the pile shouldn't mean anything. 

Grinning to himself, Jihoon tucks his hands in his pockets. “Never,” he says softly. “I’m going to keep this much with me.”

 

* * *

 

Four hours in and they’ve almost reached the marker. Woojin can’t believe he wasted four hours of his life driving Jihoon to a mystery location with no rewards. He could’ve spent this time fixing up Doyeon’s shuttle or working on upgrades for the Nomad or… watching porn. Anything would be more productive than the time wasted here. Probably more rewarding too; all Woojin has had to eat today is a tasteless nutrition bar and he’s craving some dehydrated fruits.

Jihoon still looks a little sick, though they’ve been travelling on flat ground for the last little while. He keeps staring out the window and tugging at his collar every few seconds and Woojin is finding it very distracting. You could make the case that he’s just been looking at Jihoon too often, but he feels like he should inquire about it. “Hey, you okay?”

“Hm?” Jihoon glances over and gives him a quick smile. “I’m good.” Then, after a moment, “I’m just, possibly, a little claustrophobic? It’s a new development.” He presses his palms to his cheeks and closes his eyes. “After the—after the fucking cryo-pod, it’s—”

Claustrophobia is the fear of small spaces, if he remembers correctly. Woojin glances over in concern. “Anything I can do for you?” The interior of the Nomad is a little cramped; it never bothered him personally, but he can see why someone would feel trapped in here.

“You could let me crack open a window for some fresh air?” Jihoon tries, looking at him hopefully.

“Uh, see, I could, but that would kill us.” He’d like to, but this trip isn’t a couple of bros out on a road trip on Earth. Woojin directs Jihoon’s attention to the display. “The air outside is pretty fucking poisonous right now; even our helmets wouldn’t fully protect us.”

Jihoon looks from the display to Woojin with a grimace. “Nevermind,” he says quickly. “I’ll deal.” But contrary to his words, he still seems uncomfortable and fidgety. Woojin watches him fret out of the corner of his eye and nearly drives straight into an outcrop because he’s not paying attention. Jihoon doesn’t notice his mishap, at the very least, too focused on getting his head on right. “Just talk to me if you can?” he asks, once they’re back on track. “To get my mind off things.”

“Sure?” Woojin’s not all that interesting, but yeah. “What do you—uh, what should we talk about?”

“How about…” Jihoon taps his chin, deep in thought. “Where are you from?” he asks finally, and Woojin gets the sense this is a question Jihoon’s been wanting to ask for a while. The unwritten rule of the Andromeda Initiative is that you don’t ask people about their lives before. If they choose to volunteer the information, that’s fine, but you’re not supposed to pry.

Woojin doesn’t like talking about it as a rule, but he can probably make an exception for Jihoon. “I’m not from Earth,” he begins, clearing his throat. “I used to, uh, live in a mining colony on Mars with my dad. Helped with drone repair and stuff.”

Jihoon nods, as if this makes perfect sense. “Must be why you’re so good at fixing things up.”

“Maybe.” He hasn’t really thought about Mars for a while. After his father died in a freak accident, it became hard to access any memory of the planet without feeling angry and bitter. “I was supposed to do the same kinda stuff here, but we haven’t been able to set up any mining operations on Eos yet.” In a way, he’s glad—keeps him away from negative associations. “How about you?”

“Earth, if that wasn’t obvious enough.” Jihoon makes a face. “My father signed onto the program after the lost the election for the UTA presidency.” Even Woojin heard the news about the election all the way on Mars. The United Terran Alliance was a pan-continental government, and he remembers watching Jihoon’s father’s aggressively campaign for the seat of president on television. Park Sr. lost the election quite dramatically in the end and a week later, quietly joined the Andromeda Initiative to strike into the heart of the unknown.

“The Initiative knew just how to appeal to him,” Jihoon continues, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. He balls his hands into fists and looks out. “But I guess you need leaders in the new world too and this was a sure thing.”

He really doesn’t sound like he was fully on board with the agenda. “Why did you, uh, come with him?” Woojin ventures.

Jihoon falls quiet. “I don’t know,” he says after a long pause. “He’s family.” He shrugs, as if that’s enough. Maybe it is. Woojin followed his dad to a podunk settlement in the backwoods of Mars just because he was his dad and he didn’t want to be separated from him. Woojin was the only kid there, but it was alright because his dad was there too. Family matters.

“Is he still…” Woojin doesn’t want to say it. _Frozen_ , like a redi-meal stuffed in the back of your refrigerator. He’s pretty sure he knows the answer already; Jihoon wouldn’t be here otherwise.

“Yeah,” Jihoon exhales. “I think he’ll set to get revived two hundred, three hundred years from now, when everything is more stable, you know?” He looks down at his hands. “I want to do something—something amazing, _noteworthy_ , something my father can wake up and hear about and realize I did it on my own. I want him to—not miss me, but be proud of me then.”

Woojin wonders if that is what they’re driving towards: Jihoon’s opportunity to cement a legacy. He gets it, but it also sounds like a long and hard road. “You could always go back into stasis so you can wake up with him,” he suggests. Family matters; Woojin lost his, and he doesn’t want the same thing to happen to Jihoon. Regrets aren’t easy to live with.

A shudder passes through Jihoon’s body at the mention of stasis. “No thanks. I like my life.” He turns to Woojin with a teasing grin, but the shadow hasn’t completely disappeared from his eyes. “Why, are you that eager to get rid of me?”

What? “No!” Woojin says quickly. The case is pretty much the opposite. “I like having you around. I _like_ you. It’s not like there are a ton of people I can… relate to, I guess, or feel comfortable around. Like, Doyeon and Yoojung are nice but they’re in love and Hyungseob’s annoying when he is here, but—” His ears are burning; Woojin is sure they are as red as his face. “Stop _laughing_ , you sadistic fuck.”

The sound of Jihoon’s chuckles fill the car. “I’m not,” he says, very clearly and obviously laughing. “You’re cute when you're being honest.” Woojin’s heart skips a traitorous half-beat at the compliment, even as he scrambles to pick up the tattered pieces of the last of his dignity. “I never had a lot of friends back on Earth either. Real friends, I mean. Most of them were just dumbasses, so I’m glad we’re… real friends.”

“I don’t know if you upgraded,” Woojin mumbles. “I’m a dumbass too.”

“You’re _not_ ,” Jihoon says forcefully. He sounds so sure of himself that Woojin can’t help but grin, feeling warmth spread outwards from his chest. “Or, maybe you are, but I’m the only one who gets to call you that—you’re my dumbass.”

“Should I be honored?” Woojin swerves to avoid running over an oddly shaped rock. ”Do I get a medal or something?”

“Yes and no.” Jihoon grins and bumps Woojin’s shoulder with his own. “My appreciation and charming company should be enough of a reward.”

Here’s the weird thing: even though he becomes something of a not-so-hot mess around Jihoon, even though Woojin can't really control his traitorous pulse around him, being his friend  _is_ good enough. He really wants it to be. 

 

* * *

 

A grueling six hours later, they arrive at Jihoon’s coordinates.

The location is _not_ smack dab in the middle of a Level 3 Hazard Zone as Woojin feared. Close to one, but not quite there. Like the basin they built Site 1 in, the area is surrounded by barren mountainous formations, which must’ve protected the place from the bulk of the planet’s deadly radiation. It’d be a decent spot for Site 2, if they ever get to that point.

Woojin freezes in the midst of unbuckling his seatbelt and swallows. Him? Being optimistic about future expansion plans? It’s just not realistic. But he can see the possibilities here, which is weird enough in itself; it isn't like him. He wonders if the air in the Nomad has gotten contaminated or something. Maybe _Jihoon_ is contagious, with all his hope and belief that things aren’t, you know, absolutely fucking crappy here. Maybe Woojin needs to recalibrate and look at things differently—a little more like Jihoon does.

“So. Are you ever gonna tell me why the hell you dragged me all the way out here?” Woojin asks, putting his helmet on. He’s a couple of seconds behind Jihoon, who is already suited up and eager to leave the Nomad. He jumps out of the vehicle without giving Woojin an answer—or tries to. Instead of making a graceful landing, Jihoon trips and ends up sprawled face-first in the dirt, and Woojin tries to hold back his snickers as he circles around the Nomad to investigate. “Dude, what the fuck are you _doing_?”

“Falling in love with you,” Jihoon groans, pushing himself upright. There’s a lot of static on the line and Woojin is pretty sure he heard that wrong, but he double checks anyway.

“What?”

“Falling _down_ ,” Jihoon repeats tersely. He probably shoots Woojin a glare, though he really can’t tell through the helmet. “You could’ve asked if I was okay, asshole.”

Woojin shrugs. “Want me to give you a piggyback?”

“You can’t see it, but I’m looking at you with thinly veiled contempt.”

Chuckling, Woojin helps Jihoon to his feet, ignoring the grumbling coming through their comm link. While Jihoon brushes the sand from his suit, Woojin crosses his arms over his chest. “If you’re done eating dirt—” And here Jihoon gives him a light shove which sends Woojin stumbling, still laughing. “Can you finally clue me in about what the fuck is up?”

Jihoon doesn’t answer immediately, instead heading towards a sheer, soaring cliff face with purposeful strides. Woojin jogs after him to keep up. “We discovered it last week,” Jihoon says. “Got some weird readings during a geographical survey. The team was going to investigate, but then the storms got too bad for us to land and Site 1 has been on a flight ban since then, so I improvised.”

“You’re trying to get the jump on the find.”

“I’m taking _initiative_.” Jihoon comes to an abrupt halt and places his hands on the surface of the cliff, feeling around for something Woojin can’t see. When he comes up empty, he pulls out his trusty scanner and begins running it over the area diligently. “Isn’t that what this whole program is about?”

He… has a point. Woojin snorts. “I’m using that as an excuse next time I have to explain why I did something stupid.”

“Except—ah ha!” Jihoon pulls back from the cliff, his scanner going wild. “Found it. I think.” His eyebrows draw together as he glances down at the display. Woojin rests his chin on Jihoon’s shoulder to get a better look at the numbers, then follows Jihoon’s arm to where he’s pointing at a crack in the cliff face, a narrow opening just barely wide enough for a person to fit through if they tried. He has no idea what could be inside, but Jihoon’s readings show high levels of oxygen, comparable to Site 1’s.

Trading a look, they both squeeze their bodies through the opening one by one.

Inside is _paradise_.

The Garden of Eden must’ve looked something like this, Woojin thinks dizzily. All around him is greenery; tough grass under his feet, leathery-looking vines hanging from the ceiling, and a great thick-trunked tree in the middle of the cavern, dominating the space. Around the massive tree is shrubbery, and if he squints, he can even catch sight of some pale flowers. Compared to the old pictures of Earth, it’s nothing, but Woojin has never seen this much natural beauty contained in one place.

“We knew Eos was a garden world once upon a time,” Jihoon says, awed. The only real light in the cavern comes from his scanner, and Woojin scrambles to switch his flashlight on to illuminate the space. “But I didn’t think—I didn’t think there would be any trace of it remaining.”

It’s a view from a different time, a world that was and a world that could have been. Woojin is overwhelmed; it’s hard to reconcile this with the barren wasteland outside. The small pocket of life hidden away here is breathtakingly beautiful and resilient.

While Woojin is busy gawking, Jihoon takes his helmet off and sets it on the ground. Catching a glimpse of Jihoon’s flushed face, Woojin almost cries out in alarm—but Jihoon seems just _fine_ and Woojin’s own suit reads acceptable oxygen levels in the cavern. “This is fucking _awesome_ ,” Jihoon says, slightly breathless and sparkly-eyed. He tosses his helmet to Woojin and rushes forward to examine the tree, the flowers, anything he can get his hands on. “Holy shit, I’m going to be famous.”

Woojin discards his own helmet and pads over to where Jihoon is crouched, scanning and bagging samples like his life depends on it. "Your priorities are messed up." His hands move at lightning speeds and Woojin can only look on in surprise and wonderment. “You’re—”

“Going to bring these back to the team at the lab.” Jihoon works as he speaks, not sparing Woojin a glance. “They're probably going to come back, but I need to have something to show for our trip today since it... might not be authorized?" 

"What?" 

"I didn't ask my boss for permission to leave the settlement before we... you know, went and left," he admits finally. Jihoon sounds nonchalant about it all, which is cool because Woojin is decidedly not. He's having  _war flashbacks_ to the whole Mission Unfortunate thing with Jisung. How does he keep getting roped up in these things?

“What the fuck.” Though he’s not sure why he’s surprised. Seems on-brand for Jihoon.

Pausing, Jihoon turns to Woojin and sits back with an  _oof_ _!_ "Boa will be cool with it when I come back with these samples... or distracted enough to let it go." 

Woojin wants that confidence. “You’re playing with fire.” But he sits back as well and winds his fingers through the grass, careful not to accidentally pull some stalks out of the ground. It's so tranquil here, so peaceful. This is what Eos should've looked like, ideally. Maybe then he wouldn't feel  _dread_ at the thought of settling down here but optimism instead. Maybe then it'd feel like home. But what is a home, anyway? Is it a planet that looks like Earth? He never lived there in the first place. Is it somewhere he can feel comfortable? Or is it is a person, he thinks, sneaking a look at Jihoon. Is that what makes it worthwhile? A person to feel at home with? 

There's a streak of dirt on Jihoon's cheeks. Woojin reaches forward to swipe his thumb along it, then quickly retracts his hand when he realizes how weirdly  _intimate_ the gesture was (and how soft Jihoon's skin is). Ignoring his tingling fingertips, Woojin wants to laugh it off, but Jihoon is frozen in place, his breath caught in his chest, looking at Woojin like he’s waiting for something, or challenging him to do something, or both.

His face is close enough that Woojin can count his eyelashes. It feels a lot like another moment, but this one he doesn't want to let  _go_ of. He doesn't to be one of those movie characters, the one who never gets a satisfying ending because he's too chicken to go after it. If it's ever going to happen, it should happen now—in this stolen paradise. He feels like he's in a dream, and in his dreams, Jihoon is his to kiss.

Jihoon looks bemused by Woojin’s lack of a reaction and laughs awkwardly to diffuse the tension, his face slowly reddening, and there’s something so fucking magical about the sight that Woojin doesn’t think, just leans forward and kisses him. It's clumsy and awkward; this is Woojin's first kiss  _ever_ , barring the one time he accidentally locked lips with a Martian security drone. Jihoon's mouth is a lot softer, a lot sweeter. He doesn't pull away from Woojin but steadies him,  _grounds_ him, guides him through the kiss, and desire pools in Woojin's belly, hot and insistent.

When he finally pulls away, Woojin’s face is flush, but Jihoon’s is as well. His hands shake; he tucks them behind his back as he avoids eye contact and tries not to think about the dramatic, life-altering thing he just did, attacking the closest thing he has to a best friend with his _mouth_ and he can’t even remember if he brushed his teeth this morning or just popped a breath mint before coming here—

But he can't bring himself to regret any of it, not when it felt so electric. And if Jihoon wasn't into it, he would've pushed Woojin away, right? Or... “So,” Woojin clears his throat, treading the waters gently. “Looks like I got swept away by the moment.”

Jihoon blinks. “Really.”

“No, I lied.” Woojin admits readily. “I wanted to do that a long time ago. I _should_ have. I just couldn’t work up the nerve to actually go for it.” Not when a billion signs all pointed to  _NO DON'T DO THE THING_ in flashing neon letters, but fuck that. Fuck signs and all that crap. Through some twist of fate, Jihoon woke up  _now_ , and Woojin met him  _now_ , and they're togehter _now_. Eos might a shit planet, but it's their planet and this small little garden is proof that it doesn't have to stay dead. 

It'll make it. They'll make it. 

The silence between them is heavy. Jihoon bends over his samples and picks at the base of his vial. "Me too," he says finally. "I had  _plans_." What the fuck kind of plans is he talking about? Woojin prods his shoulder, and he finally looks up and cringes. "Look, I may not have dragged you out here just for your mad driving skillz, with a 'z'." 

"What?" 

"I just wanted to get away from everything for a little while. Like all the responsibilities and stress and stuff." Jihoon huffs, looking put out the giant cockblock that is the whole of Site 1, apparently. "There was going to be this whole thing, alright? The stars were going to go ahead and align and everything was going to fit together perfectly for me to  _finally_ tell you I liked you, but then I got distracted by science." 

Science. "You  _nerd_." Woojin knew he flunked bio for a reason. "You shouldn't have." 

“Don’t get high and mighty because you kissed me first.” Jihoon shoves him again and Woojin goes down. The ground is soft, slightly springy. Smells earthy and kind of reminds him of Jihoon himself. The thought Jihoon likes Woojin— _really_ likes him—takes a few moments to sink in. It just doesn't seem possible. Jihoon, with his transparent wants—but Woojin never thought Jihoon might want him too. 

"So kiss me and we can be 1-1." 

Jihoon obliges and kisses him again. It's slower this time; they tumble together, exploring and savoring the taste of each other. Woojin wishes this moment could just last forever, but Jihoon eventually makes a noise in the back of his throat and pulls away. 

“I like you,” he says resolutely, his gaze unwavering, like it’s taken forever for him to get here.  

Woojin tried not to let the smile swallow his entire face. “I like you too,” he says thickly. “I really, really like you.”

For a while, they just stay together, basking in the comfort of each other. Woojin doesn’t want to move, maybe ever, but then Jihoon sits up. "I should probably take pictures of this," he says finally. His hair is adorably mussed and Woojin attempts to pat it down, but it doesn't take. 

"Okay?" Pretty weird thing to do, but it must be for the memories. Woojin pushes himself up into a sitting position as Jihoon scrambles back and pulls up his camera display. 

"And a video recording." 

“W—what?” That’s like, a little too far.

Jihoon stops and fixes him with a look. “Of the _place_ , not our kiss.”

“ _Oh_. Yeah, of course.” Because Woojin totally wasn’t thinking the opposite. While Jihoon takes pictures, Woojin roots around for both their helmets and picks up a few stray samples as he goes along. Arms full, he remains close to Jihoon while the latter finishes documenting the cavern and pats the massive trunk of the tree fondly. 

"We'll be back for you, Ernie." 

Woojin groans. "Hey Jihoon, I like you, but stop naming the plants."

"Ernie is not a  _plant_ , he's a majestic symbol of survival," Jihoon insists. "And if you like me, you'll just have to get used to it." 

"The things I fucking  _do_." 

Leaving the cavern behind is bittersweet. Woojin almost feels like it'll disappear once they're gone, as if it's only here for a short time, but it's  _here_ and it's real it makes him believe in Eos and in the future. This planet was once a beautiful place, and with time and enough terraforming efforts, they can bring it back. 

The future looks bright, and when Woojin looks at Jihoon, his heart swells and he thinks, _yeah, it really does._

 

* * *

 

“Shit.” Upon their return to Site 1, Woojin spots Doyeon waiting outside his workshop, looking none too pleased. “ _Shit_. I forgot about her shuttle repairs. She is going to kill me.”

Instead of comforting him, Jihoon directs a sympathetic smile and a shake of the head towards Woojin as he gathers up all his collected samples in his arms. “Rest in fucking pieces.”

Groaning, Woojin climbs out first, intending to get this over with as soon as possible. As predicted, Doyeon catches sight of him and immediately stalks over, furious—but her expression quickly morphs into one of pride when she sees Jihoon climb out of the Nomad with wild hair and bruised lips. “Woojin, you dog,” she hisses, but happily, if that’s possible. “You finally did it! But next time you and Jihoon sneak off to go on a romantic date, invite me and Yoojung.” She claps her hands together, delighted. “We can double!”

Oh _fuck_. He doesn’t bother telling Doyeon it wasn’t a Romantic Date per se; Woojin doesn’t feel like fighting that battle right now. Instead, he trades a look with Jihoon, then announces loudly, “Next time, Jihoon can just bring me _himself_ instead of dragging me out on a road trip from hell, ‘cause I’m sure we can have more fun here than in the Nomad.”

“You want him to bring you himself to have fun?” Doyeon repeats slowly. “That’s dirty.”

 _Wait_. “That’s not what I—”

“I think it’s too early for us to start having fun together,” Jihoon cuts in, shaking his head. His eyes, however, are alight with mischief. “Jesus. Just how much porn have you been watching?”

“Wooj, you pervert,” Doyeon adds, scandalized.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” His protests fall on deaf ears; Jihoon is too busy snickering and Doyeon seems to have circled back to  _what about my shuttle Woojin can I fly it yet_. Woojin drags his hands down his face as Hyungseob pops up seemingly out of nowhere to ask  _who_ is having fun here, exactly. 

But his eyes meet Jihoon's, who sends a private, secret smile his way. Woojin thinks about their kiss and then kissing him  _again_ and every day to come, and for the first time since he landed on Eos, Woojin feels truly alive. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to h for keeping me sane throughout this entire process, to s for listening to me ramble and offering good advice, and to jess for hosting this exchange! it's been challenging to step out of my comfort zone for this fic, but it's been fun (??) as well! i hope you'll enjoy it ♥


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